The Scoop On Posture During Pregnancy

 

What does good posture look like during pregnancy?

Will correcting my posture help my back pain, core strength, diastasis (abdominal separation), pelvic floor issues, headaches?

The answer is YES, absolutely! This simple alignment check throughout the day will help alleviate all sorts of aches and pains during pregnancy… and really… at any point in life! And it can be so effortless… we just have to continually remind ourselves to stay aligned throughout the day, especially as we get tired.

 

Yes, I’m the worst culprit

I have to admit, good posture has always a struggle for me, because of my genetics and how my body is naturally put together.  So it is something I’m always working on and constantly thinking about.  Especially during pregnancy.  But for most, a few reminders here and there will do the job to better alignment and less pain.

 

What does good posture look like during pregnancy?

Feet flat and forward, weight centered between feet.  Middle of the ankle (lateral malleolus) should be aligned with the tip of the pelvis (iliac crest), which should be in line with the middle of your shoulder (acromion process) and the center of your ear.

We want to find a good front to back alignment where our ribcage is stacked over our pelvis.

 

Pregnancy posture check

Try this:

1. Imagine you’re a puppet and you have a string coming out the top of your head.  That string runs all the way down your spine and into your pelvis.  Think about being pulled up by that string.  Essentially, you are lifting your body upward, from the sides of your ribs, letting your chest open up.  This helps your core engage properly, eliminating stress on the abdominals and pelvic floor muscles.  It also helps your head and shoulders slide back and directs your ribcage over your pelvis.

2. You can also think about connecting the front of your pubic bone to the back of your head.  This helps shift the hips back and will help you stand taller through your torso, allowing your core to activate better.

 

Be aware of:

1. We also want to remember to not hang forward into our hips, especially when pregnant and tired (that’s when I catch myself the most.) This puts a lot of strain on our abdominals and can pull them apart more than they need to be.  When our weight is shifted back, between the balls of our feet and heels, our core is supported.  We are not forcing pressure on the abdominal wall and the pelvic floor… which will lead them to eventually give up.  Pulling the hips back also helps unload the spine, which will help decrease back pain.

2. Clenching your glutes and tucking your hips under drastically is also not good. This puts a lot of unnecessary tension on our bodies.  So relax that butt and those hips.

Give it a try and tell me how you feel

After a few weeks, did your back pain go away, did your core feel less strained, did you have less pelvic floor pressure and pain?  Where your headaches eliminated or decreased, did you feel stronger, more confident, energized?  Hopefully, the answer is yes and is something you can continue after your baby is born… because as you may know… then comes a whole other host of “poor posture” aches and pains!